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Phil ,, you have had some super good advice from folks who have seen a lot of issues rest means rest/lay down/take a nap/ unplug phone/ take battery out of cell phone/ we want to have you around for a long time....

I had a bout of acute percariditis last year and it was the worse experience of my life. It knocked me on my ass, could barely walk and had trouble breathing. Like Buckmark's friend, my EKG came back completely normal. However the hospital took the extra precaution to test for troponin enzymes and threw me in a hospital room when they saw elevated levels. Had a fever and cough the entire time. Not sure what I caught but it passed in a few days. The doctors ran countless blood cultures and could not come up with anything. At least the morphine was boss.

Here is the post-doctor visit update:1) We are now "watchful waiting" - this means that I am to continue the course of NSAIDs.... 2) I will have labs done the third week of February - regular ID doc visit is 3/6/13. Doc wants me to wait as long as possible to get labs done to give the infection time to clear...3) She was not overly concerned with the elevated lymphocites, as this is most likely indicative of the current infection that is being treated; however, she said if they go up on the labs to be done end of March - we will have to do more tests, including an echocardiogram and explore more possibilities of what could be wrong4) If my CD4 drops anymore - it has fallen from 1,200 several months back to 549 on last labs - we will also have to do more tests... She said that because there has not been a spike in VL (it remains UD), that if the CD4 does fall, it is not attibutable to the HIV - but would have to be something else going on...5) She said we will be in a particularly concerning situation if WBCs go up, lymphocites rise, and CD4 drops as this most likely means something more menacing is occuring.

And to conclude.... We are "watchful waiting" - as there is nothing else that can be done right now (other than continue the NSAIDs) until we get a clearer picture one way or the other from the next lab draw.

Unfortunately, lymphocites are up (absolute and %); white cells up; platelets and hemoglobin down... Not in the danger zone - but out of range.

Doc sent me a message and she is arranging a visit to an oncologist (which I personally think is premature, but I shall follow her orders - It's just that typically when she sends me to other specialists, they basically want to wait for other tests to come back).... Also, she has ordered some additional labs...so, I'm hoping that the visit to the oncologist is scheduled for after the new labs come back...

I've decided that I only want to share about this here for right now....I want to keep this on low profile until I see what is going on.... With other things going on in the family, don't want to add an additional worry - especially, if it may be needlessly. So, FB will hear that "labs are good" - which, in regards to HIV, they are.... Mom is supposed to be down this way mid-March for a visit w/ my younger brother - so, if something needs to be told to them, it will happen then....

Should have additional answers within the next couple of weeks... More waiting....ugghhhh....

At least the CD4s and CD4 % are back up... And I made it clear to her that London trip shall go forward no matter what we find out.

Unfortunately, lymphocites are up (absolute and %); white cells up; platelets and hemoglobin down... Not in the danger zone - but out of range.

All in all this is good, though, right? The only numbers here I understand are the CD4 and VL, not the lymphywhatsycyteys. It sounds OK, though?

Anyway, wishing you the best from NYC.

Oh, and I just saw this thread for the first time. You people set back AIDS/HIV rights, like, 20 years at least. I would call NAPWA if they hadn't gone bankrupt. In fact, the timing of their bankruptcy to this thread is a bit suspicious...

Wishing you well on your Oncology visit....... I'm sure this is more than a little stressful. Sending you all the good vibes the I can! Will dump even more as I fly over you tomorrow on our way to San Juan.